Khoemacau recruits, commissioning looms

Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd has announced its first batch of recruitments in what observers see as signaling that the mine is about to be commissioned.

The mine’s Human Resource Manager, Richard Molosiwa, says as soon as they are issued with a mining licence by the Department of mining then operations will commence thereafter. Submissions of all the necessary prerequisites have, according to him, been made on the 11th of September this year and they should get feedback after 30 working days.

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Khoemacau officials are currently traversing both the North West and Gantsi region in a bid to give locals first preference in the recruitment of unskilled and semi-skilled workers. Villages visited so far, according to Molosiwa, include Komana, Toteng, Sehithwa, Bodibeng, Bothatogo, Kuke and Maun in the North West region while in Gantsi region the officials has so far visited D’kar and Gantsi township. “We left the registration book with Dikgosi in these villages and interested locals will bring forth their names by registering,” said Molosiwa. In Maun and Gantsi, however, Molosiwa says they have engaged Labour offices to facilitate recruitment.

Though the mine has not yet received the mining licensing yet, Molosiwa says this early recruitment will assist the mine to avoid any delay when they are now set to start operations.

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Khoemacae was previously known as Hana Ghanzi Copper (Pty) Ltd, and has been exploring and developing the Ghantsi-Chobe Copper Silver Project, located in the Kalahari copper belt within the Ghantsi and Ngamiland Districts. “Our mine is located in the Hainaveldt ranches between Kgwebe hills and the small village of Somelo,” said Molosiwa. Currently, the company has two camp sites at Tsau main gate and Somelo.

News from the mine suggests that to date, work on the project is positive and efforts continue in earnest with the multiple studies required meeting expectations. There is a strong belief that there is significant resource potential (both opencast and underground) and plans to fast track the development of the project in order to complete the feasibility study during 2014 and quickly move the project into construction.

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Cupric Canyon Capital was established in 2010 to acquire undeveloped copper assets with a known resource, add value by taking the projects through the development process and ultimately exit via a sale or IPO. The private equity company is backed by the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC through its Barclays Natural Resource Investments team.

More than a thousand prospecting licenses were issued in the North West region and according to the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Kitso Mokaila, the North- West region is currently earmarked to be the next money spinner as far as mining sector is concerned. The booming Kalahari copper belt passes through this region. Another big mining company that is currently engaged in mining activities in the region is Discovery Metals, which owns the Boseto mine on the outskirts of Toteng near Maun.